Finance Minister's cuts warning

Services in Wales will be hit - Finance Minister

Finance Minister Jane Hutt says services here in Wales will be put under 'considerable pressure' by a range of cuts which she says will lead to the 'most challenging years since devolution.'

The cuts following last week’s Budget are a real blow and will place our crucial public services under further pressure. They will also have a real impact on our ability to shield Wales from the accumulative effects of the UK Government’s spending cuts, welfare reforms, legal aid cuts and cuts to Wales’ European structural funds budget.

“Between 1999 and 2010, we saw steady increases in our Budget. Since then, we have seen year-on-year cuts in real terms.

The Chancellor’s Budget – which cuts our Budget even further - will add considerable pressure to public services this year and even more pressure next year. This means the next few years will be the most challenging since devolution.